France: Anti-Muslim Vandalism Again

L’Alsace reports that on Sunday morning graffiti attacking Muslims and French president François Hollande was discovered on the wall of a disused service station on the road between Hirtzbach and Carspach in Haut-Rhin, having been sprayed on the previous night.

The slogans read “Muslims out” and “Hollande too”, followed by “Enough!!!”

The graffiti was highly visible, being situated on a busy main road, and council services arranged to have it painted over on Monday. Other similar slogans were found on the road between Carspach and Ballersdorf.

Hirtzbach’s deputy mayor Olivier Pflieger noted that such racist vandalism had become “part of everyday life in France”, adding “We can not allow this to happen”.

The Grande Mosquée de Paris was defaced with racist graffiti on Monday night, Le Figaroand 20 minutes report. The slogans “Allah the pervert” and “Allah the perverted whore” were sprayed on the wall of the building.

The rector of the mosque, Dr Dalil Boubakeur, said in a statement: “We deeply deplore the racist violence and hostility that have been shown against the Mosque of Paris, the iconic institution of Islam in France.” He added that a complaint has been registered with the police.

The mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, also condemned the attack.

“These insults are both irresponsible and intolerable”, he said. “By targeting the Muslims of Paris, those who have expressed them are attacking the Muslims of France and betraying the Republican past that binds us all. On behalf of the people of Paris and in my own name, I want to assure the rector of the Mosque of Paris, as well as the Muslim community, of my support and my friendship.”